Meanwhile, Dole hypes packaged-food safety; endorses its own.(Dole Food Company Inc. campaign for packaged salads)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Food Institute Report, The, August, 2002

Dole Food Co. has stepped up a campaign to convince consumers that packaged salads are safe, in the wake of a salmonella outbreak that was traced to lettuce grown in California. Even though the lettuce came from a smaller company, Spokane Produce, Dole wants to protect its own image in the $1.8 billion a year precut vegetable category, reported The Wall Street Journal (Aug. 20).

Lettuce is at risk of contamination from the moment it is planted until it reaches the consumer. Dole says it follows FDA safety guidelines in its fields and at its packaging plants, using a safety system initially developed to protect astronauts from food-bourne illness in space.

Dole has invested a lot in this category over the past year, opening its Northern California...

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